Weighing of paddy in excess at regulated market irks farmers

RANIPET: Excess weighment of 600 grams per paddy bag in the regulated market at Amoor in Walaljahpet Union has upset farmers who have planned to meet Collector S Valarmathi.

Sources said that farmers bring paddy in either gunny bags or HDPE (high-density polyethylene) bags to the regulated market. When weighed at the market, paddy should be 75 kg and bag should be 1 kg. In the case if HDPE sacks each should weigh 400 grams apart from the paddy quantity of 75 kg.

However, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam Ranipet district organiser M Arun Kumar said, “in the regulated market at Ammoor gunny bags add 600 grams more resulting in each bag weighing 76.600 kg which when calculated for 4,000 bags offloaded at the market a day works to 2,400 kg which is what a farmer gets after a hard work of 3 months approximately for an acre.”

Elaborating he said, “the issue is now cropping up in regulated markets at Vellore and other places too where farmers have been affected and is said to be the handiwork of traders.”

When enquired, trade sources revealed that they received lesser bags of rice from hulling units to which they handed over paddy to be converted into rice.

Officials at the Amoor regulated market said, “farmers bring in paddy fresh off the field and as there is no moisture content limit for regulated markets like in the case of Direct Procurement Centres (DPC), paddy dries as the day progresses and weighing, which starts at 3 am, ends by 10 am. This results in traders demanding that they be given the correct weighment when they take paddy from the regulated market.”

Officials further said, “our by-laws allow us to weigh 300 grams extra due to such conditions.” However, he was silent on the complaint of 600 grams being extra weighed for the bags.

TN Vivasayigal Sangam youth wing state president R Subash condemning the practice said a committee should be formed to look into the issue.